Forge Shop Breakdown

[Anker]

Because I can, let's break down what the forge accepts as trade, and what they give in return.

Reinforced Hoses > Lens

Reinforced Hoses: Renewable. All parts available from Portal World or trade.
Lens: Trade Only

Axle Grease > Capacitor.
Axle Grease: Renewable. Respawns in portal world.
Capacitor: Trade Only.

Note: Part used only for quests at this point, little reason collecting them otherwise.

Solder > Fiber Optics
Solder: Renewable. All resouces available from train worlds.
Fiber Optics: Trade Only.

Note: Another quest part that's completely useless otherwise, for the most part.

Air Compresser > Heat Suit
Air Compresser> Renewable. All parts respawn in portal world.
Heat Suit: Trade only.

Note: A utility for being in extremely hot areas. Not required anywhere near the time you can buy it.

Scrap Metal> Cement Bag
Scrap Metal: Extremely Renewable
Cement Bag: Scarcely Renewable.

Note: Cement makes for great barricades, though you'll need to stack two of them if you want a wall that will actually prevent you from being shot. Ironically useless for base defense in the current game state, given enemies' tendency to teleport directly into the heart of your base with no regard for any placed defenses, barricades included.

Super Tomato > Reflective Vest
Super Tomato: Renewable.
Reflective Vest: Not Renewable.

Note: Inferior to FORGE armor, and indeed, most chest pieces. Not really worth getting as anything other then an ingredient the once- And you'll find plenty around the place for that.

Security Bot CPU > Anvil
CPU: Renewable, available anywhere there's a Security Bot Pod
Anvil: Renewable, one per Portal World reset.

Note: Anvils scrap to scrap metal, but you don't need any more of that if you're farming portal worlds anyway. Useful for making new repair and scrapping stations for satellite bases, though you probably have as many anvils as you need for places worth building bases as it is.

Military Electronics > Steel Cable
M. Elec: Renewable. Drops from soldiers, which are ever-present in a portal world.
Steel Cable: Scarcely renewable.

Note: A pretty good deal, after you build the scarce few things you need military electronics for and have some left over for repairing things.

A. Wheat > H. Acid
A. Wheat> Renewable
H. Acid: Scarcely renewable.

Note: A component of a powerful anti-radiation syringe, useful if you're not particularly careful around radiation.

Anomaly > Rebar
Anomaly: Annoyingly Renewable
Rebar: Scarcely Renewable.

Note: You need Rebar for so many things, including ammunition. Anomalies respawn every night at 1, but you have a brief window to catch them and they don't spawn anywhere in particular, so just run in circles until time's up.

Order Helmet > Welding Helmet
Order Helmet: Not Really Renewable
Welding Helmet: Not Renewable.

Note: Just a part for FORGE armor, mostly. If there's a way to make Order drop their helmets, nobody knows.

[BusinessGoth]

I can help you out with the helmet drop answer. Shooting them in the head can remove their helmets and make the available for pickup. You can get the standard order helmet, the medic helmet, and the officer beret this way. There may be more that I've not encountered as of yet.

[Xchalk]

Isn't it Axel grease > diode which is used for the lantern so far I think
And the fiber optic is used for the healing brief case

[Anker]

Originally posted by Xchalk:

Isn't it Axel grease > diode which is used for the lantern so far I think
And the fiber optic is used for the healing brief case

I forgot about that. I crafted one and mostly forget about it.

[Anker]

Originally posted by BusinessGoth:

I can help you out with the helmet drop answer. Shooting them in the head can remove their helmets and make the available for pickup. You can get the standard order helmet, the medic helmet, and the officer beret this way. There may be more that I've not encountered as of yet.

I remember seeing a post about how this only works if you shoot them in the head with a firearm- Not a makeshift weapon. I don't use guns I can't get ammo for, so... Not seen it.

[Demjou]

I can personally state that I've knocked the helmet/beret off of every type of soldier via pipe pistol shots, grinder shots, general combat with thermal hammer or welding spear, and sneak power strikes to the head with the thermal hammer.

The most consistent method has been sneak power strikes with the dot right on the head, knocking the helmet off if they have one, and frequently instant killing them if they don't have one. Sometimes seems to kill even with a helmet, which I assume is the sneak attack bonus proc.

[sudokek]

Honestly you should make this into a guide, include the lab transmutations too.

[Fireman3000]

Originally posted by sudokek:

Honestly you should make this into a guide, include the lab transmutations too.

There's not much to exchange there (you can even memorize it). Especially considering the fact that all these exchangeable items can be obtained in portals, and they also constantly spawn in the ordinary world (a little further in the story)

Silver -> Hard carbon
Space wheat -> Space Crystals
Leyak essence -> Eye plant
Space Crystals -> Liquid plasma

[Anker]

Originally posted by sudokek:

Honestly you should make this into a guide, include the lab transmutations too.

I might, once we know more. I haven't memorized all the lab trade locations yet.

[sudokek]

Originally posted by Fireman3000:

Originally posted by sudokek:

Honestly you should make this into a guide, include the lab transmutations too.

There's not much to exchange there (you can even memorize it). Especially considering the fact that all these exchangeable items can be obtained in portals, and they also constantly spawn in the ordinary world (a little further in the story)

Silver -> Hard carbon
Space wheat -> Space Crystals
Leyak essence -> Eye plant
Space Crystals -> Liquid plasma

Yeah, I didnt need help with it I was stating it should be a guide for those whom do need it. You could do it too.